North Middlesex holds off Blue Knights to win CMass. D3A title

FITCHBURG -- Former North Middlesex Regional ice hockey coach Brendan McNabb got the program headed in the right direction.

Current Patriots head coach Mike McCarthy now has them on top of Central Mass. hockey.

Like it has been all season long, North Middlesex played a total team game, as the top-seeded Patriots captured their first Central Mass. title since 2006 with a hard-fought, 3-2 victory over second-seeded Lunenburg/Ayer Shirley for the Central Mass. Division 3A title Monday evening at the Wallace Civic Center.

"The kids played outstanding and they played their hearts out and they battled," McCarthy said. "We beat an unbelievable team. Overall, just an outstanding effort by our guys."

North Middlesex (18-3-2) plays Western Mass. champion Wahconah -- a 7-6 winner over Chicopee -- for the Division 3A state title on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the MassMutual Center in Springfield.

Winning goaltender Ryan Twomey was all smiles after the championship victory.

"Right now it's surreal," said Twomey who made 23 saves. "It hit me on the ice with all the fans celebrating when I held the trophy and everyone was chanting my name. It's definitely a great feeling."

The red-hot Patriots, who have now won 10 straight games, started the season slow but quickly got on the same page.

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"After the first couple of games we realized that we had to pull together and from there on, I think we've been a lot better team with a lot more chemistry," Twomey said. "Teamwork is the key."

Twomey, who calls his team "a bunch of grinders" couldn't stress enough how much he and his teammates have put into this championship season.

"In high school, everyone can have the basic skills, but we have the heart, effort and the grittiness to win the games," he said.

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And it took a total team effort to knock off the talented Blue Knights, who were 1-0-1 against the Patriots in the regular season. The Blue Knights had to rally back to earn a 3-3 tie versus North Middlesex on Jan. 18, and a week later skated to a 3-1 triumph at the Wallace.

"Teamwork, that's why we got it this year and that's why we won," said senior forward Ryan McCarthy, who potted the eventual game-winner 9:04 into the third period.

Lunenburg -- the Coughlin Conference champs -- ended its tremendous season at 16-3-4.

"I thought our kids played outstanding, but North Middlesex just got one more bounce than us," Lunenburg coach Eric Short said.

North Middlesex staked to a 2-1 lead into the third period but got more breathing room as Ryan McCarthy lit the lamp at 9:04.

On the North Middlesex power play, McCarthy flicked a shot from the slot through traffic that eluded Lunenburg goalie Alec McNamara, giving the Pats a 3-1 edge. PJ Dupre and Josh Miller assisted on the goal.

But Lunenburg kept digging and were rewarded nearly three minutes later to cut the deficit to 3-2.

The Blue Knights cycled the puck, as strong defenseman Josh DeFazio dished to Tom Wagner, who took a shot from the top of the left circle that was tipped into the net by center Dan Baldino.

Lunenburg pulled its goalie with 1:13 left, but couldn't find a way to beat Twomey, as the Patriots skated away with the championship trophy.

"The title is amazing," Ryan McCarthy said.

North Middlesex had Lunenburg flustered well into the second period, but the Blue Knights finally scored to get some much-needed life late in the middle period.

A combination of great goaltending by Twomey and solid defensive work by Dupre, Jay Cobleigh, TJ Melanson and Miles Massidda kept Lunenburg's potent offense at bay.

"They were just all-around great," said Twomey about his defensemen. "They definitely play good in front of me, and I can trust them in front of me."

But at 12:46 of the second period, Lunenburg broke up the shutout. Defenseman Mike LaManna fired a blast from the point and Twomey made the initial stop. But the juicy rebound went right to a wide-open Kevin Cowdrey on the near post, and he sizzled a shot into the net. DeFazio and LaManna assisted on the goal.

On the opening shift of the second period, Baldino got dinged up and skated slowly back to the bench. The junior returned to the ice, but clearly didn't have the burst he typically has. Nonetheless, Baldino gutted it out, missing only a couple shifts, and left every ounce of energy he had on the ice.

"(Baldino) took a stinger to the thigh and we worked it out," Short said. "It probably took about three shifts to work it out. He sucked it up and we needed him to play. He was going to play hurt or not."

Dupre nearly gave the Patriots a three-goal lead, but after stick-handling by a defenseman and using a great spin move, his wrister was gobbled up by McNamara.

Lunenburg's heavy-hitting forward Tom Wagner drew a penalty, but paid the price and also struggled to get back to the bench with an apparent injury. Wagner, despite briefly being shaken up, stayed in the game as well.

"I think a couple little nagging injuries may have slowed them down, their two top players going off the ice limping or down a little bit," Mike McCarthy said.

In a fast-paced opening period, the Patriots dominated the final five minutes of the period and struck for two goals to claim a 2-0 lead at the first intermission.

At 11:47, Massidda hammered a shot that zipped by Lunenburg's defenders trying to dive and block the shot and the puck scooted by Lunenburg goalie Alec McNamara (29 saves). Josh Miller picked up a helper on the Massidda goal.

Dupre came calling for the super-charged Patriots at 14:14. From the right wing, the forward uncorked a wrister that deflected off McNamara and trickled across the goal line for an unassisted goal, giving North Middlesex a two-goal advantage.

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